Dish cleaning and garbage collecting machine



June 14, 1949. CARSON 2,473,007

DISH CLEANING AND GARBAGE COLLECTING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1945 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hill I W n lhhh 1 Ill INVENTOR. 4 a} M 641 5017 June 14, 1949; CARSQN 2,473,007

DISH CLEANING AND GARBAGE COLLECTING MACHINE Filed July 23, 194i I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 2 Ali INVENTOR.

Ea sse// M Carso/z ATTO RNEY Patented June 14, 1949 DISH CLEANING AND GARBAGE COLLECTING MACHINE Russell M. Carson, Red Oak, Iowa, assignor of fifty per cent to George C. Hohl, Kansas City,

Application J uly 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,520

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for removing and treating garbage from table dishes and lor separating IrOm said garbage, such tableware as might accidentally be emptied from the dishes into the macnme.

' one of the important objects of this iiiventlon is to provide a dish cleaning and garbage collecting machine having means ior separating solids from the collected garbage and for disposing of liquids therein by supplementingsaid liquids through the-addition or water used 111 nusinng the garbage from the disnes being handled.

A iurther object of this invention is the provision oil a machine for collecting and disposing ofgarbage after it has been flushed from dishes or introduced into the machine, through a series of specially formed chambers one of which has a number of sweeps therein to f-acilitate discharge'of solids as the liquids passing through acter wherein is included recycling means for part of the liquid entering the sump; a discharge opening for solids capable of removing heavy particles of garbage from within the machine as they are separated from liquids passing therethrough; and power driven mechanism for shifting the garbage after it enters the machine through paths of travel conducive to quick separation of the solids and liquids constituting the garbage being acted upon.

Many additional objects of an important character will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a dish cleaning and garbage collecting machine, made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the opposite side of said machine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken along line IVIV of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

, form designated generally by the numeral l0, and

having a sump l2 in the lower portion thereof. The upper section l4 of tank In is constructed to completely overlie sump l2 and to have an overhanging portion l6 disposed substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. This overhanging portion 5 has a discharge chute I8 depending therethrough from a point of connection with a concavo-convex partition 20 carrled within upper portion l4 of tank In on a series of radial brackets 22 secured to the inner race of tank Ill. The diameter of partition 20 is slightly less than the inside diameter of the upper portion I4 of tank In to establish a space 24 therearound for the escape of liquid as more fully hereinafter set down.

Partition 20 has an opening 26 in communi- .cation with chute l8 and supports a sweep on its upper convex surface as detailed in Fig. 3. This sweep comprises a number of blades 28 extending radlailyirom a supporting shaft 30 journalled for rotation in a bearing 32 mounted on the wall of tank ID as at 34. A filler cone 36 serves as a hub from which blades 28 radiate, and cooperates with said blades and the conical bearing 38 in establishing connection between shaft 30 and-the sweep as a whole. A cross pin 40 extending diametrically through bearing 38, engages a notch 42 in the upper end of shaft 30 for the purpose of removably mounting the sweep in an operative position for rotation in the direction of the arrow'shown in Fig. 4. Blades 28 of the sweep are inclined downwardly and rearwardly with respect to their upper edges and the direction of travel for the purpose of preventing escape of particles over the upper. portion of the sweep as it is moved about the axis of shaft 30. v

The outer' free ends of blades 28 are in close proximity with the inner annular face of a cylinder 44 which rests upon partition 20 in spaced relation to the annular side wall of tank Ill. Cylinder 44 is perforated as at 46 throughout its lower portion and upwardly to a line of substantially the same plane as the upper edges of blades 28. The lower edges of. blades 28 are arched in conformity with the curvature of partition 20, and therefore, as the sweep rotates, the tendency of any material is to flow down- .wardly and outwardly toward the perforated portion of cylinder 44, where the liquid may escape by the action of gravity into sump l2.

A bevel gear 48 mounted on the lower end of shaft 30 is in mesh with a similar gear 50 on shaft 52. This shaft 52 is journalled in bearings 54 depending from hearing 32 and is in operative connection with a motor 56 carried by the outer surface of tank In. A stufling box 58 insures operation of shaft 52 by motor 56 without detrimental leakage of liquids.

Sump l2 has a specially designed tray 60 removably supported therein at a point above overflow pipe 62 that is disposed as shown in Fig. 3. With this overflow pipe in the position illustrated, the liquid level in sump l2 may rise to the lowermost point of the .upper edge of pipe 3 62 before it commences to escape through overflow pipe 62 to a sewer connection or other means of permanent disposal with respect to the machine.

Tray 60 is slidably carried by an annular flange 84 mounted on the side wall forming sump l2, and the bottom of tray 60 is undulated as clearly shown in Fig. 6 to increase the straining-action of the liquid which passes downwardly into sump l2 through this said tray. Perforations 68in bottom 68 of tray 60, are relatively small with respect to perforations 46 in cylinder 44, and therefore, any entrained particles that might have passed with the liquid through said perforations 46 are removed as the liquid is strained through tray 60.

An access opening 10 formed through the side wall of tank I0, has a door 12 thereover which is conveniently hinged as at 14 to permit opening and removal of tray 60 for the purpose of cleaning the same.

Tank I is supported on legs 16 of a heightv capable of maintaining the normally horizontal concavebasin 18 in an operative position at table height. This basin 18 has a scrap hole 80 at the lowermost portion thereof into which water from pipe 82 is directed by pump 84. The upper end of pipe 82 is in substantially the same plane as the top of tank l0 and water forced upwardly through this pipe 82 is elevated to an amount convenient for falling into dishes that are being flushed and from which garbage is removed by the action of the water passing upwardly through pipe 82.

A salvaging compartment 86 of the form shown in Fig. 3, is dis osed directly beneath scrap hole 80 and attached to the under side of basin I8. The outlet o ening 88 of the salvaging compartment, is relatively high with respect to its lowermost wall, for the purpose of allowing the escape of liquid and entrained particles that are of insufficient weight to maintain themselves in the trap portion 98 of compartment 86 due to the action of gravity and their inability to float.

Particles of garbage which are washed from dishes into compartment 86 through scrap hole 80 are usually buoyant enough to float out through opening 88 while such tableware as might be accidentally washed into compartment 88 will remain in trap 90 thereof. Such function on the part of the elements of the machine will insure recovery of valuable tableware such as knives, forks, spoons, small ereamers, and other articles that heretofore have normally been lost because they were thrown into the garbage.

Make up water is supplied to tank l0 through pipe 92 joined to pipes 94 and 96 which in turn are in connection with a source of cold and hot water respectively. Pump 84 is joined to sump l2 and operates to recirculate a volume of the liquid in this sump [2 by forcing the same through pipe 82 where it re-enters the material receiving cylinder 44 by way of hole 80 and outlet 88. Thus, the amount of fresh make up water required is reduced to a minimum since it is the function of this machine, not to cleanse the tableware, but to flush garbage and table waste therefrom.

During the operation of the machine liquid and entrained particles of garbage of a buoyant nature willdrop into material receiving cylinder 44 where the liquid will move downwardly along partition 28 and. out through the perforations thereof to sump 12. The heavier particles of garbage will be slowly moved over the upper surface of partition 20 by blades 28 until they reach chute 18. At

this point blades 28 will bridge the outlet opening 26 and force the relatively dry particles of garbage into position where the action of gravity will draw them downwardly through chute l8 and into a suitable receptacle not here shown.

The amount of solids passed through chute I8 is relatively small compared to the volume of garbage passing through hole 80. This is because a large amount of small particles are carried by the liquid through perforations 46 and 86 where they are directed into overflow pipe 62 and thence to the sewer.

The equipment above described, therefore, not

, only removes tableware for re-use, but minimizes claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine having a tank provided with an open top for receiving liquid and solid materials and means for recirculating said liquid from the bottom of the tank to the open top thereof; the improvement which consists of means for separating the liquid and solid materials in said tank, said means comprising a sump forming a bottom section of said tank; a top section of said tank having a portion overhanging the said sump; a partition setting off said sections of the tank, said partition having a solid portion overlying the sump and a discharge opening adjacent the overhanging portion of the top section; means for moving said solid material on the partition into the discharge opening as the liquid flows from the partition into the sump; means for holding the solid material against falling into the sump as the same is moved on the partition, said holding means comprising a perforated wall extending upwardly from the partition at the periphery thereof; and a perforated tray in said sump disposed to receive and strain the liquid passing into the sump of parts of the solid materials escaping through the perforations of said wall.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the perforations of the wall are larger than the perforations of the tray.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the perforations of the wall are larger than the perforations of the tray and the tray is provided with an undulatedbottom to increase the straining function thereof.

RUSSELL M. CARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 819,803 Rickerd May 8, 1906 1,000,086 Goetz et al. Aug. 8, 1911 1,405,876 Summers Feb. '7, 1922 1,688,429 Murden Oct. 23, 1928 2,330,422 Hansen Sept. 28, 1934 2,400,879 Hilliker May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 129,068 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1928 

